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by yeaka



Category: Halt and Catch Fire
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Post-Series, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:08:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23385031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Cameron struggles at the new place.
Relationships: Donna Clark/Cameron Howe
Comments: 6
Kudos: 56





	Results

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Halt and Catch Fire or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

It’s not working.

She types the exact same thing in again, letter for letter, symbol for symbol, but the same error pops up on the washed-out screen and blocks her progress. Cameron’s fingers curl into her palms, and there’s a split-second where she wants to slam her fist against the keyboard. She still lets out a frustrated growl. At least she has her own office and the door’s shut, so no one’s around to hear it. No one would know if she kicked the side of her desk, but she’s not a kid anymore, and she holds that anger back. At least in some ways, she’s matured.

In other ways, she feels the same way she did when she was in Cardiff’s basement, trying to build a machine that no one but her understood. She’s still got the oversized headphones covering her ears, and the music she’s blaring is similar—her taste hasn’t changed _that_ much—though now the singer’s Japanese. The aggressive beat was giving her energy, but now it’s just fueling her frustration. 

She pulls the headphones off and sets them down—lightly, not trying to break them. The computer screen seems to flash at her, but Cameron doesn’t bother trying again. She’s hit a wall, and she knows it. It’s the most difficult part of trail-blazing. There are a dozen other works in the bullpen outside her door, but none of them can do what she does. Some of them are visionaries, some of them have their own ideas, but they won’t be able to execute _her_ brilliant epiphany, and she knows it. 

She sits there for maybe another minute, then sucks in a breath and devolves back into the most destructive, most effective old habit. She abandons her work and heads for the door.

There is no secretary sitting outside—Cameron drew the line there. There is outside Donna’s office, and she looks up when she sees Cameron passing but doesn’t say a word, because Cameron barging in is par for the course. She’s high-up, after all. An _equal_ partner. Fifty-fifty. Donna’s inside, standing behind her desk, staring at a new painting on the wall.

Maybe she’s getting a new idea too. She has more genius light-bulb moments than anyone gives her credit for. Cameron knows that now. 

Donna doesn’t even look over. That’s how used to Cameron’s presence she is. Her arms stay crossed over her trim chest, her hips cocked to the side, leaning back against the hardwood, and there’s a brief second where Cameron absorbs just how _beautiful_ she looks in her tight pencil-skirt and button-up white blouse. She does _fierce business woman_ so well. Her red hair is swept over one shoulder in a slick wave, a thick gold necklace adorning her throat. She smells like lavender perfume, and Cameron can’t imagine why that didn’t get through to her before. Why it took so long to notice Donna. Now that scent’s intoxicating. 

Cameron storms right over to Donna’s side and leans in to peck the corner of her mouth, going in for another, fuller embrace. Donna ‘mmph’s in surprise and jerks back, but Cameron chases her down, cupping the side of her face and tilting them together. She tries to slip her tongue past Donna’s rouged lips, but Donna disentangles and steps around her. “Jesus, Cam, we’re at work—”

“I’m stuck.”

There’s no other explanation than that. Donna blinks. She looks at Cameron for a long moment, and Cameron can see the simple, familiar phrase sinking in. They both know the best way to break down whatever walls rise up in Cameron’s way. 

If they’d done this back at Mutiny, Donna probably would’ve rolled her eyes and shooed Cameron out. But they’ve both come around to each other’s way of working, and Donna’s softened just as much as Cameron’s grown. 

Donna marches over to the door. She tells her secretary, “Hold my calls,” and jerks the door closed. Her heels click on the way back: gait strong and sure.

She grabs Cameron in both hands and takes the deep kiss Cameron wanted, because there’s no inspiration like _Donna_.


End file.
